TAKING OVER OF KOUTU AREA

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5317, 1 February 1947, Page 6

TAKING OVER OF KOUTU AREA

ADJUSHNG FINANGES CONFERENCE BETWEEN PARTIES ABORTIVE No agreement was reached by special committees of the Borough Council and County Council at a conference 011 financial adjustments to be made between the two bodies on the taking ever by the borough of the

Koutu area. Negotiations broke dovm on the qqestion of apportionment of heavy traffic fees, this item amounting to £9823. The Borough Council agreed at its meeting on Thursday that cipplication be made to the Minister of Internal Affairs for the . setting up of a Commission of inquiry to report on sueh matters as might be deemed | necessary to enable him to make an adjustment between the parties. Those pres^nt at the canferenee were the Mayor, Mr. P. A. Kusabs, the Coranty Chairman, Mr. H. P. Fovd, Messrs. D. K. Shcaf, G. J. Ford, A. Belliugham and L. J. Wright. The meeting decided that the basis of alioettrion of both assets and lia■Dilities should be in proportion to the rateable eapital value of the Koutu area co eithor the whole county or to xhe rateable capital value of the south j riding where hinds were held on be- j half of that riding only. The follow- ] ing figures had heen agreed on by the respective oifieers: — Rateable capital value of Koutu area £69,166 Rareable capital value of vrhoh- county £1,215,421 Ratcahle capital value of south ridlng £703,249 Generally speaking, it was thought that an arrangement could be come to until the apportionment of heavy traffic licenee fees was discussed.

County Accounta The county held in cash an:l seeurities £15,U1U. The south riding account i Stood ai >1328; with subsidy, an additional £475. On a whole county basi.-., the hospilal rating account was £208, i heavy traffic licenee fees account ; £9823, intevest account £1082, out- ' standir.g rates £47'C, })etrol tax refund £67, sundry debtors £107, Licensing Act refunds £25, insurance co-opera-tivo shares £2*J0, and estimated assets including reserves were £6066. It- was suggested the borough should al.-o bear its proportion of the foliowing coimry liabiiities: Creditors £307. and nett public debt, £22,261. Other aecounts did not concern the. south riding. It was argued by the county reprcsentatives thai only arroars oi rates owing in the Koutu area should be made available, and it itas suggested •by Lhem that these rates, amounting tu appr^x imately £160, and made up of £8 15s. Kuropean and £152 5s. Native. z houhi iie handed over to Ihe feorough Council, which could assunie resyoiisibilhy for collection, but it is guestionahle whcther the borough euuld collect rates levied by another local authority. Heavy Traffic Licences On the question of heavy traftie licences, stated the report, it was argued by the county that a mileage 'basis was in conformity with the Motor Rogulations, 1940. This, hovvever, was nol the case. No -roference was made in the regulations to the apportionment of monics ti mileage basis, and were sueh the case, ihe Borough Council's proportion would be greatly reduced, in view of the fact that the county, exeluJing main highways, had a total roading of 263 miles, whereas Lhe borough had only a road mileage of 323. The preseht basis of apportionment oi* fees between the borough and county was 50 poi* cent. It was decided at the conference that the matters in dispute should be referred back for Considevation bj, eaeh hody but as its committee members considered that it was unlikely an arrangement could be reached, the^ Boiough Council decided to place the mattar before the Minister aftei a certain date.